Benedictine monk Brother David Steindl-Rast believes that there are two qualities in our basic definition of gratitude. The first is appreciation—we recognize that something is valued without consideration of monetary works, and the second “is a response to something freely given.” Gratefulness is consciously choosing to adopt a grateful perspective no matter what happens. Looking back on April 2023, we have much to be grateful for, in particular, the gifts of faith, community, beauty, and a sense of humor.
As a community of faith, we celebrated in person and on livestream, Holy Week, Triduum, and Easter. Below are a few images that capture these essential expressions of our faith and community.
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On Saturday, April 22, we celebrated Mother Earth with our 53 annual Earth Day event. This collaborative event celebrating Earth Gratitude: God’s Vision of an Abundant Future was held in our beautiful St. Clare Garden. More than 40 people attended the prayer service and took the opportunity to explore the new garden space. The weather freely gifted us with sunshine, wind, sleet, snow, rain, and hail, all within minutes, bringing joy and delight in God’s sense of humor. Below are a few images that capture the beauty of Mother Earth and the delightful weather gifted to us.
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